


Eye On You

by cellard00rs



Category: Puppet History (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: AU, Crushes, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Mild Language, Muppets (Muppets), Puppets, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26065384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellard00rs/pseuds/cellard00rs
Summary: It isn’t easy to get a scholarship into Puppet University when you are – in fact – not a puppet. Or even a muppet. Still, Kate Peterman is one of the lucky few to gain a scholarship into the exclusive school and she’ll be damned if she doesn't do her best. Puppet!World!AU
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Kate Peterman
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13
Collections: Buzzfeed AU August





	Eye On You

It isn’t easy to get a scholarship into Puppet University when you are – in fact – not a puppet. Or even a muppet. Still, Kate Peterman is one of the lucky few to gain a scholarship into the exclusive school and she’ll be damned if she doesn't do her best. So far she’s excelled in every class and is well on her way to a worthy degree and being a PU alum. All she has to do now, is get through the Professor’s exhaustive history course.

The Professor can be surprisingly hard nosed when it comes to the minutia of historical details. Which is more than a little difficult considering the topics he chooses to cover. Nothing so formulaic as re-examining the Revolutionary War for the millionth time or digging into the Renaissance yet again. Oh no, his classes tended to zero in on the more unique aspects of the past. Such as the Dancing Plague of 1518 and the life of Corporal Wojtek.

Unique, untold tales that really made her think, but also made the required essays…troubling. Her most recent assignment has been to uncover and write about such a topic and she's…floundering. She thought about asking some of the other students for help, but there aren't many she feels comfortable enough around to ask.

Mainly because they're all so accomplished. One of them is Kermit’s nephew for fuck’s sake – how's she supposed to ask _that_ guy for help on her essay? She’s gotten a few suggestions from Kimmie the ferret and Large Louise – not to mention her fellow human students, Matt Real and Jenny Lorenzo – but nothing seems compelling enough to write about.

As such, she is yet again in the University’s large library, looking through various volumes and texts trying to find something that will inspire her. Surprisingly, she’s finding herself having to avoid unusual debris that’s floating around – colorful feathers, empty Starbucks cups, and…is that someone’s googly _eye_? Jeez, she certainly hopes not…and it’s hard not to gag at the sight.

Honestly, someone really needs to come around and give the place a little once over. She looks to see the two head librarians, but they’re quietly chatting to one another behind the large service desk and she really doesn’t feel it’s her place to say anything. Shaking her head at the sight, she turns and immediately smacks into a broad, well built individual. Warm hands reach out to steady her, “Whoa! Hey! Sorry…you alright?”

 _Alright_? Kate thinks dumbly because the warm hands are nothing in comparison to the warm eyes. The warm eyes of Ryan Bergara and oh boy, of all people…

Kate has had a crush on Ryan Bergara since the moment she met him. Again, being one of the few human students at the University, he's hard to miss. Not to mention his smile, his hair, his muscles and… _okay, okay – get back on track, Kate, he asked you a question_!

“Um,” she tucks some loose hair behind one ear, “I’m…I’m fine.”

“Cool,” Ryan says cheerfully and he sneaks a peek at the head librarians himself, as if worried they’ll overhear them talking, “You need help with anything?”

“I…” Kate feels like a complete idiot as she trails off, uncertain where to even begin when Ryan rocks on his heels closer to her, giving her a conspiratorial look, “I’m, ah, kinda wanting to do something other than my normal duties, so – if you need a hand…”

“Normal duties?”

He nods, “Yeah, got a part time gig here. But Macy and Darlene usually only have me pick up trash.”

Kate looks at the librarians again. They’re both laughing at something, Macy pushing up her glasses and Darlene’s head so far back that it looks like her neck would break…if she had a neck. To be honest, Darlene’s fluffy purple head is so close to her body that…Kate’s eyes widen, good god, is she being _puppetist_?!

“Hey,” Ryan waves a hand near Kate’s face, “You in there?”

Kate turns back to him, eyes still wide. _Oh. That’s right. One crisis at a time, Kate. The guy you have a huge crush on is talking to you. Focus!_

“Y-Yeah, I…I do need help, but-but I also noticed the-the trash is…”

“I’m going to get it,” Ryan vows, “Honest, but-but did you see that _eye_?”

They both share a shudder and it’s so companionable that Kate relaxes a little, feeling like she can finally breathe, her anxiety tamping down some. Feeling better, she grins, “You know, yes, you can help me. I’m looking for a topic to write about for the Professor’s essay…”

“Oh,” Ryan scowls, voice sour as he starts escorting her towards one of the many towers of bookcases, “The Professor…”

“Problem?”

“Eh,” Ryan waves a quick hand, “Just feel like that guy’s always picking on me…”

“Really?” Kate asks with true astonishment, still following him as the weave in and out of bookcases, “I always thought you were his favorite student.”

Ryan stops and turns to look at her, stunned, “Really?”

She nods, “Yeah, he always wants your input. More than any of the other students! He calls on you every time…”

He blows a raspberry before saying, “Sure, to make fun of me!”

“Aw, come on, Ryan,” she nudges him, “You’re his favorite little guy!”

“ _He’s_ the little guy…” Ryan grumbles but he looks down, looks at where Kate nudged him and _she nudged him!_ The realization washes over her like a cold rain. She just touched him like it was nothing! For a few moments, she completely forgot herself and was cool. Casual.

…for a few moments. Now, back to herself, she swallows thickly before mumbling, “A-about that help…”

Ryan just bobs his head and they continue their trek, coming towards the history section. She’s already perused it about a hundred times, but she hopes maybe he knows something she doesn’t, seen some book that might have an interesting topic to write about. He pulls down one text and flashes it to her, “How about the Chicago murders in '88?”

“ _That_?” Kate gasps, scandalized, “ _That’s_ what you chose?”

Ryan shrugs, “Why not?”

“Why not?” she laughs, “Those murders were _gruesome_! Not to mention orchestrated by a deranged puppet!”

“Nu-uh,” Ryan argues, raising a finger, “A deranged _doll_. That was once human, so, I mean – it’s got it all! Murder, the supernatural, _and_ it took place a couple years ago, so, historical…”

“No thanks,” Kate giggles, “What else you got?”

He hums and looks over a few more volumes before letting out a little ‘ah ha’ and drawing out another book, “The jewel heist in London?”

“Is that Lady Holiday’s autobiography?” Kate asks with some interest and Ryan hands it over. Kate flips through it some before finally letting out a sigh, “No, I don’t think that’ll be unique enough…”

“Oh, oh! I got it!” Ryan races around the corner of one of the bookcases and then comes back with a very thick volume, “The 1904 Olympics! The marathon that year was insane! The second place winner almost died!”

This raises her eyebrows, but Kate doesn’t feel the zing she hoped to. Seeming to sense this, Ryan puts the book aside, “Well, is there any subject you’d like to write about? That might help narrow it down…”

“I mean, does anyone _like_ writing essays? Do you? I mean, you’re in the same class as I me – what are you writing about?”

Ryan’s dark eyes dart side to side and Kate gasps, pointing at him accusingly, “You don’t know either, do you? You’re just like me!”

“Hey! Like I said, the Professor’s always picking on me, so my essay has to be something _amazing_ and-! Don’t laugh!” the last is said with a little hysteria, but Kate can’t help herself, chuckling because she’s – well, she’s so _pleased_. Knowing she’s not the only one struggling is such a relief! Especially when it’s someone like Ryan. Because she hadn’t been lying earlier. She’s quite certain he’s the Professor’s favorite student, so no matter what he writes about, she’s sure he’ll do well.

Not that the Professor has any issue with her. He’s even awarded her one of his little cups of jellybeans that he gives out at the end of each class to the student he thinks did the best that day, but still – to know she’s not alone...

But then Ryan clears his throat and crosses his arms and Kate’s laughter kind of dies because…yeah, she’s not alone, exactly, but she _is_ with Ryan.

Ryan, whose arms are crossed, and those _arms_. Kate’s throat goes a little dry at the sight. She can see muscles bunching under the material of his long sleeved henley and he should write about something sports related. He should do the essay on the Olympics he mentioned because he’s…so fit. Fit and looking at her and his dark hair is messy and her fingers itch at the idea of pushing some of the strands away from his forehead and…

Kate is sure her face is about to go nuclear. It feels so hot and she blinks rapidly, voice coming out in a croak, “I…I mean, I like…cats?”

Ryan winces, “Yeah, don’t think the Professor will like that…”

She knows that too, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Mainly because she’s floundering again and why, oh why, can’t she just get some solid footing? One second she’s totally comfortable around him and the next she’s not and hey, maybe that’s because of the fact that she’s _majorly_ crushing and she’s just about to toss her hands up and say, 'Give me the Lady Diamond autobiography' when Ryan’s head tilts to one side and he says thoughtfully, “Maybe we could work on it together?”

Everything Kate thinks and knows and _is_ grinds to a halt.

“We…? Could…?” she manages stupidly and Ryan’s back to that breathtaking, blinding-sun smile he has, “Yeah. It’d be fun. We can go out to dinner and-!”

“Why would we go out to dinner?” Kate’s question leaves her without her thinking about it and just as she’s about to mentally berate herself for that she notices that, suddenly, _Ryan_ is the one who looks off kilter. _Ryan_ is the one who looks nervous.

Wait. What?

 _Ryan_ is nervous? Why would he be-?

His smile is gone and he’s scratching at the back of his head and _is he blushing_? He clears his throat, “Oh, uh, well, I-I just thought…”

“RYAN!” a voice rings out and they both turn to see Macy bobbing up and down as she comes around the corner. She’s holding the Starbucks cup from earlier, as well as some of the feathers, “You’re supposed to be cleaning this place up! Not running off from the service desk the moment you see that pretty girl that you’re crush…ing…on…”

The puppet’s words slow as she catches sight of Kate. The way she came around the bookcase, she only saw Ryan first. Not Kate. Seeing her now, Macy lets out a delicate cough, “I-I mean…”

An awkward silence falls over all three of them.

It rests for several beats before, finally, Macy lifts it with a curt, “There’s an abandoned eye in the Reference section.”

With that, she turns and flees. Ryan looks at Kate. Kate looks at Ryan. Both turn an alarming shade of red. Finally Ryan mutters, “I…should-should probably…” he waves to one side as a finish, clearly trying to show his plans to leave when Kate manages, “I’d love to!”

It comes out louder and brighter than she would like, but it comes out and she hopes against hope her large smile doesn’t look manic as she repeats, “I’d love to…go to-to dinner with you, I mean, If…if you’re still offering…”

He just blinks and she also adds, “…and ah, the-the essay too, if-if…”

“Yeah!” Ryan returns just as loudly, just as brightly, and suddenly Kate realizes they are much more alike than she ever could have hoped. They're both human students at an exclusive university, they both don’t have a clue as to what to write about for the essay, and they’re both awkward people harboring crushes. And, it turns out, those crushes happen to be on one another.

Kate nods, “Okay!”

“Okay!” Ryan repeats.

Kate draws in a shaky breath, releases it, comes down, “Okay.”

Ryan does the exact same action, “Okay.”

They smile shyly at one another, both happy, both eager, both understanding the other, eyes locked until someone clears their throat nearby. Looking in the direction of where the sound came from, they see a long nosed orange and pink creature with one eye, who asks, “Excuse me, have either of you seen an extra eye lying around here somewhere?”

**Author's Note:**

> References to films include: Child's Play and The Great Muppet Caper. The 1904 Olympic Marathon was an actual strange historical event. This is, without a doubt, the most G-rated thing I've ever written. Only one curse word! It's also one of the shortest! Who knew! If you enjoyed, please feel free to visit me via my tumblr, [cellard0ors!](https://cellard0ors.tumblr.com/)


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